This invention is directed toward golf putters and more particularly, to the construction and function of the blade or head and the manner in which the shaft is attached or connected to the blade.
Because of the importance of putting to scoring well in the game of golf, serious golfers spend a great deal of time practicing putting and looking for and using a variety of putters which may help improve their putting stroke and thereby improve their score. As a result there have been a large number of putters designed, some of which are patentedxe2x80x94some of which are not, but which have been advertised and promoted as being an improved tool in the putting game. Typically is U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,733 by Szokola. Szokola somewhat generally describes many of the frustrations and concerns relating to putters along with the terminology that is used and recognized by serious golfers regarding the problems they encounter with their putters. Parenthetically a serious golfer can range from a once-or-twice a week summertime only golfer to the full-time touring professional. Without getting into detail, the Szokola patent deals with the hosel for mounting or attaching or connecting the shaft to the putter blade in combination with the shaft location with respect to the blade for use by the golfer in aligning the putter blade to the ball for striking the ball and moving it in the right line.
Another prior art putter is U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,910 by Raines which is a little unusual. It is directed toward making the putter blade out of a tubular material or casing and then filling the casing and closing off the ends and combining that with a double goose-neck type of connection to the shaft.
Yet another prior art putter patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,528 by Tsao. This patent talks about the xe2x80x9csweet spotxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d of the putter to the golfer somewhat along the same lines as the Szokola patent referred to previously. Tsao deals in part with the weight or feel of the putter somewhat based on the nature of the blade material that is made in part with a low density material and in part with a relatively heavier or high density material which relates particularly to the feel of the club. In addition, Tsao combines a sighting device for use by the golfer to align the club face with the ball to impact the ball at the right spot to move it in the proper line. This apparently is achieved by attaching the shaft in such a fashion that when aligning the putt the golfer""s head and eye are slightly behind the ball.
Other U.S. putter patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,795,246 and 5,382,019 which deal with the shape of the putter blade and the attachment of the shaft to the blade, sometimes referred to as the hosel attachment. Still others are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,709,613 and 5,542,665 which deal with adjustability of putters for shaft attachment angles and/or adding or removing weight.
Applicant is aware of other putter patents but they are not at all related to the instant invention except that they are aimed at the ultimate result of providing the golfer with a putter that can be relied upon to help in scoring. In addition, of course, there are a large number of various putters of various designs which are commercially available, many of which are not patented.
The present invention is aimed at widening the xe2x80x9csweet spotxe2x80x9d on the ball-striking face of the putter blade or head by minimizing twist of the blade when the ball is impacted, even if off-center of the putter blade. In the preferred form a hollow member is attached to and extends rearward from the back surface of the putter blade. The hollow bore of this member is located behind the preferred ball-striking area on the face of the blade. The shaft is attached or connected to the hollow member. The hollow member may be rectangular or circular in form or may take the form of other geometric shapes. It is preferred that the width of the hollow member be about equal to the diameter of a golf ball and perhaps even slightly larger.
The back side of the putter blade may contain a recess at the ball-striking area which conforms generally to the hollow area. It has been found that eliminating some mass behind the ball-striking face of the putter in the ball-striking area may also help to reduce twist or turning of the blade should the golfer strike the ball somewhat off center. In other words, the sweet spot, the perfect spot at which the ball should be impacted with the putter blade, may be effectively somewhat enlarged thereby allowing the golfer a greater margin of error in the striking or impacting the ball with the putter blade to keep the ball in line while rolling to the hole.
As an added feature, the width of the cavity and/or extension member can be used by the golfer to frame the ball when lining up the putt to help accurately position the ball with respect to the xe2x80x9csweet spotxe2x80x9d or preferred ball-striking area on the putter blade.